Wish Upon A Snowflake A Kuro Arashi Special
by Project Arashi
Summary: When Seno is forced to go overseas, Motoko is left broken-hearted. Will Seno make it home in time for Christmas?


**Kuro Arashi Special: Wish Upon A Snowflake**

_Hinata Sou; Mid-November_

"What?"

The swordswoman's hands paused just above her plate. She'd just been about to take a bite of the mid-afternoon meal that Shinobu had prepared when Seno had started talking. Unfortunately, her hands weren't the only that stilled at his words.

"What do you mean you're going to America?" Motoko frowned, her brows furrowed deeply.

All eyes turned to Seno, who cleared his throat and lay down the chopsticks that had been in his hands. After arranging them for what seemed like forever, he glanced across the table at his wife.

"I've got some things that have to be taken care of. You know what just happened. Mom needs the assistance, so I've got no choice. It isn't as if I want to go right before Christmas, but there are things only I can take care of." he smiled weakly, attempting to mollify the frowning woman across from him.

After all, Motoko could be _scary_ when angry. This was no exception.

"And I'll be back well before Christmas, so you don't need to worry." his eyes went from her face to her hands, when the chopsticks she'd been holding snapped in half, the pieces rocketing across the room where Sabashii promptly inclined his head to the side as they embedded themselves in the wall behind him.

"Ah, Motoko?" A feminine hand came from the side, interjecting, as Naru's palm covered the top of Motoko's hand, the woman scowling, and drawing her hand away rapidly. She didn't want to be comforted.

"Fine. I'll even help you pack." her tone was no less than scathing as she threw down what remained of her chopsticks and marched up the stairwell that led toward the upper levels of the Sou. The sound of a door slamming closed in her wake caused the occupants of the dinner table to cringe.

"This is a fine mess you've gotten into," Sabashii chuckled, one hand resting on the cup he'd been drinking from. "Hope that was worth it."

"This time?" Seno sighed. "Not so much." He slumped back down into his chair. This day was turning out to be just beautiful. He'd managed to make everyone stop eating within a ten second period, _and_ managed to alienate his wife from him, all within a two minute timeframe. There had to be some kind of record book somewhere that he could submit this to.

The others remained silent as they removed themselves from the table, dishes taken away into the kitchen, the entire group crowding in to give the man some space. The only one who remained unmoving was Haiken, who turned to address Seno, watching Kitsune from the corner of his eye.

"So, looks like you screwed up again," Haiken was promptly met with Seno's napkin in his face along with an audible grumble from the swordsman. "What do you have to do in America, anyway?"

"It's complicated business. I had some things arranged in America, and unfortunately, I have to go salvage what I was doing. I'll be back in time for Christmas, hopefully. Maybe." Seno waved a hand slightly.

"Maybe?" Haiken raised an eyebrow.

"Yeah. Maybe." Seno leaned forward, shaking his head with the faintest of grins on his face. "If I'm not, I pity you guys. You'll have to deal with the brunt of Motoko's anger." He ducked, as his napkin was returned with a solid toss at his face.

"Thanks, Seno. What a great pal you are." a drawl from Haiken, who rolled his eyes and took the opportunity of Kitsune's passing to slide a plate into her hands, the result a resounding and solid bonk on the top of his head with the offending object.

"What could be more important than staying here for Christmas?" the query came from Nealla, who moved to take the last stack of plates from the room, a slight frown furrowing her brows. "Motoko has been looking forward to Christmas, hasn't she? Why leave now?"

Seno could only wince at her words.

"Thanks for reminding me," He ran his fingers through his hair and stood, evading the question in the singular gesture. "I'm now going to attempt to not be tossed out of my bedroom and back down the stairway. If you see me come flying out, please be sure to duck."

The other residents nodded in sympathy and understanding, while the MolMolian girl watched him walk up the stairs, giving her head a shake. Motoko had a temper on her that could rival that of an angry mother bear, but this time at least she'd be just a bit justified. Taking off like this, and just before Christmas no less. She didn't know who she pitied more. Him, for being at the brunt of her anger, or her, for possibly being alone on Christmas.

A sad state for the both of them.

Meanwhile, at the top of the stairs, Seno had come to a halt, listening to the sounds of banging, clattering, and smashing coming from the room that he and Motoko shared.

"This can't be good." a mumble as he continued down the hall, stopping in front of the door and sliding it open just slightly. Inside, Motoko was throwing around anything and everything she could lay her hands on. Books, clothing, if it had a classification as an object, it was being tossed.

"Not Halo! I just made Commander, don't break Halo3 !" Seno made a dive forward as one of his XBox games went flying forward, catching it with a baseball slide just before it hit the ground and shattered.

It would have been comical, if it wasn't for the waves of anger radiating off the swordswoman he called his wife.

"Motoko?" His voice was quiet from the floor, and he nudged himself up onto his elbows, pushing himself to stand as he gingerly set the disc case back on top of his X-Box.

The woman froze then, turning to look back at Seno. The slightest hint of tears glistened in the corner of her eyes, and for a moment, there was heard a cracking sound, as Shinaijou made known her displeasure for her.

"I'm just finding everything you'll need to pack." She turned away quickly, back toward the open suitcase on their bed.

"Hey, I..." He started to speak, and her head shook quickly.

"I need to get you packed up, Seno." She frowned, her back still to him. "What time does your plane leave?"

Seno sighed then. "Tomorrow morning. I'm taking the 9 AM flight out of Tokyo." The words hung in the air, his wife's silence deafening

"I..."

"Look..."

An awkward pause passed through the rom as they both started talking at once. Motoko turned to look at him, her face mostly hidden by the dim light coming in from the window behind her. It was setting on into evening, and there was little left to salvage of the evening.

"Get out and let me finish packing." She turned back away from Seno, leaving the man to stare at her back as she continued to pack his suitcase.

Lifting a hand and stepping forward, he thought better of himself, and turned away to retreat into the hall, sliding the door quietly shut behind him.

"Great." Seno slumped against the wall behind him.

It was going to be a long night.

_Tokyo Airport_

"Are you sure you're alright Motoko?" a frown lit Kitsune's usually smiling face, as the woman stood with her hands pressed into the back pocket of her jeans, speaking with the woman while Seno and Haiken exchanged words several feet away.

The husband and wife had barely spoken since the evening before at the dinner table, and Kitsune hadn't seen Motoko this upset in a while.

"I'm fine," She shot a glance at Kitsune, who popped one eye open to appraise her, Motoko quickly turning away away to escape the obvious scrutiny of her friend.

As her eyes traveled across the distance, they lit on Seno and Haiken, and she attempted to strain her ears, to hear what the two were speaking about.

"So you can see why I prefer to leave her here. I know that if things go sour this could take me more than a month, and I don't want to drag her away from home for that long. I'll bring her something back, and should be home for Christmas. I hope." Haiken nodded at Seno's words, before patting the other man on the shoulder.

"Yeah, but mah, until you get back, I wouldn't take all the money in the world to be in your shoes. Especially now." Haiken glanced backward over his shoulder, only to meet eyes with Motoko, who gave the ninja a glare that would have stopped him dead if looks could kill.

"I know, but I have to take care of this - I'm the only one who can. If I could just appoint some lawyer, I'd do that, and not even go. But I can't do that. Will states I _have_ to be there in person." Seno scowled..

"Hey, they're calling for your flight. You better get going," Haiken stepped back to join the others as they stepped forward, and Seno hefted his on-board bag, before turning to Motoko, who merely turned her back on him.

"Alright, alright. I get it. Catch you all in about a month, hopefully less," He stared at Motoko's back for a few moments longer, before turning to get on the plane. He didn't have much choice, at this point.

As the sound of Seno's footsteps retreated, Motoko ran a hand across her arms to slow the almost imperceptible shiver that ran down her skin, and headed out of the Airport, leaving the others staring after her dumbfounded.

"Remind me to thank him for this month of hell properly when he returns." an exchange between Sabashii and Haiken as the woman gathered in a cluster and headed off after Motoko.

"Sure thing." Haiken chuckled, hands thrust into his pockets as he and Sabashii followed the girls out at the leisurely pace.

_Hinata Sou; Two Weeks Later_

"What do you mean, you won't be home until after Christmas!?" Motoko practically shouted into the phone. On the other end of the line, Seno could only wince.

"_I won't be able to have all this wrapped up until after Christmas. I'm sorry Motoko, I know you wanted me to be there, and trust me, I **want** to be there, but I just can't,"_ part of him winced internally, knowing he'd pay for his little white lie later. He'd left Shinaijou in another room to prevent the blade from cracking on him.

"So you care about us so little, you won't even be here for Christmas? Fine!" she slammed the phone down on the desk beside the cradle so hard that the plastic almost cracked, and stormed up the stairs, while Haiken went along behind her, lifting the phone to speak into it.

"You just love doling out punishment for us here, don't ya, Seno?" the Ninja winced at the loud slamming of doors upstairs, not daring to move any closer to the stairwell, lest things start flying down it.

"_Look, Haiken, I hated saying that to her, but I need to get the last of this bullshit with the lawyer wrapped up before I can come home. I will be home on Christmas, but I'm trying to bring her a surprise, and it won't be done until Christmas Eve. I'm trying to avoid telling her I will, so if the airports are swamped, she won't be more disappointed," _a loud crash sounded up stairs, along with Motoko's scream, though it was more rage, than pain.

"_What the hell was that!?"_ Haiken looked up as Seno's X-Box flew down the stairs past him, and cracked against the wall where he'd been standing.

"You don't want to know man. Look, just do your best, alright? I'll see you in a couple weeks," he heard Seno mumble into his ear as he dropped the phone back into the cradle. A few minutes later, he wandered back to the X-Box, making a gesture as if pulling a hat from his head.

"Poor Soldier, you die not in vain."

Behind him, Kitsune rolled her eyes, before brushing past him to move up the stairs. Motoko would need to be calmed down before her rage spread from the room she and Seno shared, to other rooms of the Hinata Sou.

_Hinata Sou; Christmas Day_

The halls of Hinata had been decked, celebratory drinks were being passed around, and presents had been exchanged. All except for those for Seno, which sat under the tree, lonely and deserted, scattered amid a pile of tattered wrapping paper. Inside, all the usual couples snuggled, Sabashii flirted with whoever would listen, Kitsune punched Haiken in the arm for a perverted comment, Shinobu blushed, and Nealla sat to the side, reading a book. The days had become average.

The only image out of place was Motoko, who sat outside in the freshly falling snow, sword propped on her lap, her head hung, and her breath frosting in the chilly night air. The group inside had broken out the karaoke machine, and were starting to sing Christmas carols in broken English, while she massaged her throbbing temples.

She'd been in as good humor as she could manage, considering the fact that her husband was miles away. She glanced up at the sky above, watching snowflakes fall, her voice soft.

"_I wish he'd come home…"_ her voice was so soft it was barely above a whisper.

Inside, the sound of music grew quiet as 'Deck the Halls' came to a close, and the strains of 'I'll Be Home For Christmas', started pouring out, along with a rich, warm male voice.

Blinking several times, swearing she could hear the strains of her husbands voice mingling with the singing of Sabashii and Haiken, who were singing along, she stood, preparing to bolt, struggling to choke back her tears.

"_I'll be home for Christmas__  
You can plan on me.__  
Please have snow.. And mistletoe.__  
And presents on the tree…___

Christmas eve will find me.  
_Where the lovelight gleams…__  
I'll be home for Christ~mas…  
If only in my dreams…"_

As the last few strains drifted out, a pair of hands came down around her head from above, pulling a slender chain to rest on her throat, snapping into place quietly.

The woman turned slightly, hand going up to her throat, as warm hands wrapped around her waist from behind, pulling her against a solid, warm, and familiar form.

"Merry Christmas, Motoko," a voice whispered against her ear, resting a cheek against her own.

"Merry Christmas, Seno," she ran her fingers along the delicate snowflake necklace he'd placed around her throat and turned, pressing herself into his warmth, tears falling freely against his shoulder.

Without a word, he tipped her chin, and feathered a kiss across her lips, as she glanced skyward, uttering a faint whisper under her breath, as she laced her arms around him, and they started dancing, as 'I'll Be Home For Christmas' started playing again, the entire group inside singing along this time.

'_Thank you…' _And together, they danced under the falling snow.


End file.
